Supposedly, the next pope who comes to power is the last pope before the end of the age. The story goes that in 1139 A.D.
or so, a guy named Malachy visited Rome and had a vision. He was shown
how many popes there would be before the end time. With Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation announcement today, it seems like we’re on the cusp of big things about to happen.
So, is it true? Did a Roman Catholic bishop have a vision in 1139
that really showed him how many popes there would be before the end of
the age? It’s not impossible. God has given prophecies to
those who are obedient followers of His as well as those who are very
decidedly not (Balaam comes to mind, Numbers 22:35).
But it could also be bunk. The Wikipedia article
about the “Prophecy of the Popes” explains difficulties with the
accuracy of the prediction. Namely, the way Malachy wrote down what he
saw was in the form of 112 very cryptic phrases. The phrases supposedly
describe something about each pope. But they’re so vague, figuring out
what they mean relies heavily on interpretation. And while some have
been accurate, some have also been way off-base.
It’s so interesting, mysterious, intriguing to think about. If the
next pope is the last pope, does that mean the end of the age is coming
in the next 30 years or so (or sooner)?
Let’s get back to basics, here. We know and believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. We don’t
know that about Malachy’s prophecy. And frankly, the biblical
prophecies about the end time are clearer and less obscure than what
Malachy wrote anyway.
A key prophecy we should look for to determine when the end will come is the “man of sin.”
Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians about him, and the vision John recorded
in Revelation 13 corroborates it. Here’s Paul: “Don’t be fooled by what
they say. For that day [the day of the Lord, which culminates in Jesus’
return] will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and
the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He
will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every
object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple
of God, claiming that he himself is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, New Living Translation).
The guy claims to be God Himself.
So before Jesus returns, this man has to come on the scene. John
seemed to have a vision of the same guy, which he described as a beast:
“Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. […] He did
astounding miracles, such as making fire flash down to earth from heaven
while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed
to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who
belong to this world. He ordered the people of the world to make a great
statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back
to life. He was permitted to give life to this statue so that it could
speak. Then the statue commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must
die” (Revelation 13:11-18, NLT)
By the way, it’s this same guy who institutes the “mark of the beast,” which is calculated to 666.
What is the conclusion of the matter? If the next pope is the last
one, it’s either coincidence or it really was an inspired prophecy. But
instead of trying to figure out if some cryptic and mysterious prophecy
from the 12th century is true, I think it’s more worth our time to read
the plain language of the Bible.
The point of prophecy is to get us to take God seriously and make changes in our life today
. Hold fast to the teachings of Christ. Be a good Christian. In fact,
Paul said exactly that right after he wrote about the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:15).
Or to quote Jesus Himself: live a life showing fruits of repentance (Matthew 3:8).

Take-Away

St. Malachy’s prophecy of how many popes there would be before the
end time probably isn’t true. But the Bible definitely is true, and it
clearly says that a “man of sin” who claims to be God and does amazing
miracles will come to power before the end time. The point of prophecy
is to make us focus today on being a good Christian. So live a life
worthy of repentance.

Update: March 13, 2013 - First Pope from Latin America. Cardinal
Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina is chosen as the new Pope. He will
take the name Pope Francis the First.

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Mitchell Moss is the managing editor for the United News and assistant editor for Beyond Today magazine. He designs and lays out Beyond Today booklets, writes articles and video scripts, and photographs portraits, events and TV shoots.
He graduated from Ambassador Bible College in 2010 and lives in
Cincinnati with his lovely wife Dana, who is a creative soul with a
passion for Filofax.